Vietnam

cheap.

Hanoi

a charming city unlike any other

Hanoi is a city of broad, tree-lined boulevards, lakes, parks, weathered colonial buildings, elegant squares and some of the newest office blocks and hotels in Southeast Asia. It is the capital of the world’s 14th most populous country, but, in an age of urban sprawl, the city remains small and compact, historic and charming.

Much of the charm of Hanoi lies not so much in the big ‘sights’ but in the unofficial and informal: small shops, sidewalk coffee, an evening visit to Hoan Kiem, watching the older inhabitants exercise and practice t’ai chi around one of the city’s many lakes.

Another appeal lies in the novelty of exploring a city that, until recently, has opted for a firmly socialist road to development and has been insulated from the West. Today, you’ll find it enlivened by an entrepreneurial spirit manifest in new shops, bars and building developments, and an ever more cosmopolitan air reflected in the opening of new galleries and a fantastic contemporary art scene.

Best for

Architecture Coffee shops History Lakeside walks

Hoan Kiem Lake and Central Hanoi

West of Hoan Kiem Lake

South of Hoan Kiem Lake

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum complex and around

Outer Hanoi

Around Hanoi

Footprint

picks

Hoan Kiem Lake, see here

A walk around the lake in the early morning or at dusk is a must.

Old Quarter, see here

Hectic and intoxicating – if you feel overwhelmed, jump in a cyclo.

Ambassadors’ Pagoda, see here

Not one of the conventional sights, but easily one of the most atmospheric – arrive early or late to watch badminton.

Temple of Literature, see here

Vietnam’s first university and now its most famous temple.

The Citadel, see here

One of the most recently opened of the official sights, the Citadel grounds are a peaceful retreat and offer plenty of history.

Tay Ho Pagoda, see here

The waterfront setting of this pagoda is hard to beat.

Museum of Ethnology, see here

The country’s best place to learn about the 54 ethnic groups which inhabit it.

Sights Hanoi

boulevards, baguettes and bars

Hanoi has some worthy historical sights lying as it does at the heart of a region rich in history. It also has stylish shops and plentiful market stalls, and plenty of places to stop for coffee. Colour map 1, B4.

Hoan Kiem Lake and Central Hanoi

heart of the capital

Hoan Kiem Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake, or Ho Guom (the Lake of the Restored Sword) as it is more commonly referred to in Hanoi, is named after an incident that occurred during the 15th century. Emperor Le Thai To (1428-1433), following a momentous victory against an army of invading Ming Chinese, was sailing on the lake when a golden turtle appeared from the depths to take back the charmed sword which had secured the victory and restore it to the lake whence it came. Like the sword in the stone of British Arthurian legend, Le Thai To’s sword assures Vietnamese of divine intervention in time of national crisis and the story is graphically portrayed in water puppet theatres across the country. There is a modest and rather dilapidated tower (the Tortoise Tower) commemorating the event on an islet in the southern part of the lake. In fact, the lake does contain a turtle and one captured in 1968 was reputed to have weighed 250 kg. The Ho Guom tortoise has now been named Rafetus leloii. The wide pavement that surrounds the lake is used by the residents of the city every morning for jogging and t’ai chi. The light around the lake has a filmic quality, especially in the early morning.

Ngoc Son Temple and bridge

10,000d.

The temple was built in the early 19th century on a small island on the foundations of the old Khanh Thuy Palace. The island is linked to the shore by the Huc (Sunbeam) Bridge, constructed in 1875. The temple is dedicated to Van Xuong, the God of Literature, although the 13th-century hero Tran Hung Dao, the martial arts genius Quan Vu and the physician La To are also worshipped here. Shrouded by trees and surrounded by water, the pagoda’s position is its strongest attribute. To the side of the temple is a room containing a preserved turtle and photographs of the creatures in the lake.

Essential Hanoi

Finding your feet

At the heart of the city is Hoan Kiem Lake. The majority of visitors make straight for the Old Quarter (aka 36 Streets) area north of the lake. The French Quarter is south of the lake. Here you’ll find the Opera House, grand hotels, shops and offices. A large block of the city west of Hoan Kiem Lake (Ba Dinh District) represents the heart of government. To the north is West Lake, Tay Ho District, fringed with the suburban homes of the new middle class and the expat quarter with bars and restaurants. Away to the southern and eastern edges are the industrial and residential zones.

Best bars

Barbetta, see here

CAMA ATK, see here

Madake, see here

Tadioto, see here

Getting around

Hanoi is getting more frenetic by the minute, and pavements are often used for parking making walking a challenge, but walking can still be pleasurable. If you like the idea of being pedalled, then a cyclo is the answer – but be prepared for some concentrated haggling. There are also xe om and self-drive motorbikes for hire as well as a fleet of metered taxis. Local buses are rammed and the network is not well designed for the uninitiated.

Best museum and galleries

Vietnamese Women’s Museum, see here

Museum of Ethnology, see here

Nha San and Art Vietnam, see here

When to go

Hanoi benefits from glorious European-like springs and autumns when temperatures are warm and crisp. From May until September Hanoi is often fearfully hot and steamy and you cannot take a step without breaking into a sweat. From December to February it can be chilly and Hanoians wrap themselves up. Most museums are closed on Mondays.

Time required

Most sights can be seen in a weekend, but lazing in Hanoi cafés and by lakes is worth more of your time.

Old Quarter and 36 Streets

Stretching north from the lake is the Old Quarter (aka Pho Co or 36 Streets). Previously, it lay to the east of the citadel, where the emperor had his residence, and was squalid, dark, cramped and disease-ridden. This part of Hanoi has survived surprisingly intact, and today is one of the most beautiful areas of the city, although the old fronts of most of the buildings are now covered with unsightly advertising hordings. Narrow streets, each named after the produce that it sells or used to sell (Basket Street, Paper Street, Silk Street, etc), create an intricate web of activity and colour, see box, see here.

By the 15th century there were 36 short lanes here, each specializing in a particular trade and representing one of the 36 guilds. Among them, for example, were the Phuong Hang Dao (Dyers’ Guild Street) and the Phuong Hang Bac (Silversmiths’ Street). In fact, Hang Bac (hang means merchandise) is the oldest street in Hanoi, dating from the 13th century. The 36 streets have interested European visitors since they first started coming to Hanoi. For example, in 1685 Samuel Bacon noted how all the diverse objects sold in this town have a specially assigned street, remarking how different this was from companies and corporations in European cities. The streets in question not only sold different products, but were usually also populated by people from different areas of the country – even from single villages. They would live, work and worship together because each of the occupational guilds had its own temple and its own community support networks.

Some of this past is still in evidence: at the south end of Hang Dau Street, for example, is a mass of stalls selling nothing but shoes and Hang Bac is still a place for gold to be bought and sold. Generally, however, the crafts and trades of the past have given way to new activities, but it is remarkable the extent to which the streets still specialize in the production and sale of just one type of merchandise.

The dwellings in this area are known as nha ong (tube houses). The majority were built at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th; they are narrow, with shop fronts sometimes only 3 m wide, but can be up to 50 m long (such as the one at 51 Hang Dao). In the countryside the dimensions of houses were calculated on the basis of the owner’s own physical dimensions; in urban areas the tube houses evolved so that each house owner could have an, albeit very small, area of shop frontage facing onto the main street; the width was determined by the social class of the owner. The houses tend to be interspersed with courtyards or ‘wells’ to permit light into the house and allow some space for outside activities such as washing and gardening. As geographers Brian Shaw and R Jones note in a paper on heritage conservation in Hanoi, the houses also had a natural air-conditioning system: the difference in ambient temperature between the inner courtyards and the outside street created air flow, and the longer the house the greater the velocity of the flow.

A common wall can sometimes still be seen between tube houses. Built in a step-like pattern, it not only marked land boundaries but also acted as a firebreak. The position of the house frontages were not fixed until the early 20th century and consequently some streets have a delightfully irregular appearance. The structures were built of bricks ‘cemented’ together with sugar-cane juice.

The older houses tend to be lower; commoners were not permitted to build higher than the Emperor’s own residence. Other regulations prohibited attic windows looking down on the street; this was to prevent assassination and to stop people from looking down on a passing king. As far as colour and decoration were concerned, purple and gold were strictly for royal use only, as was the decorative use of the dragon. By the early 20th century inhabitants were replacing their traditional tube houses with buildings inspired by French architecture. Many fine buildings from this era remain, however, and are best appreciated by standing back and looking upwards. Shutters, cornices, columns and wrought-iron balconies and balustrades are common decorative features. An ornate façade sometimes conceals the pitched roof behind.

48 Hang Ngang Street At the north end of Hang Dao St, before it becomes Hang Duong St, 0800-1130, 1330-1630, 10,000d. This is the spot where Ho Chi Minh drew up the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence in 1945, ironically modelled on the US Declaration of Independence. It now houses a museum with black and white photographs of Uncle Ho.

87 Ma May Street Daily 0800-1200, 1300-1700, 10,000d, guide included. This is a wonderfully preserved example of an original shophouse, now open to the public. The house was built in the late 1800s as a home for a single family. The importance of the miniature interior courtyards providing light, fresh air and gardens can be appreciated. The wooden upstairs and pitched fish-scale-tiled roofs are typical of how most houses would have looked. From 1954 to 1999 five families shared the building as the urban population rose and living conditions declined.

The Bach Ma (White Horse) Temple 76 Hang Buom St. Dating from the ninth century, this temple honours Long Do and is the oldest religious building in the Old Quarter. In 1010, King Ly Thai To honoured Long Do with the title of the capital. It is said that a horse revealed to King Ly Thai To where to build the walls of the citadel.

Cua Quan Chuong Venturing further north is the last remaining of Hanoi’s 16 gates. In the 18th century a system of ramparts and walls was built around Hanoi. Quan Chuong Gate was built in 1749 and rebuilt in 1817.

Dong Xuan Market Further north still, on Dong Xuan Street, is this large covered market. It was destroyed in a disastrous fire in 1994 and stallholders lost an estimated US$4.5 million worth of stock. They complained bitterly at the inadequacy of the fire services; one fire engine arrived with no water. The market has been rebuilt and it specializes mainly in clothes and household goods.

The streets around the market are full of street traders selling all manner of foods and spices making this a wonderful area to wander with a camera.

BACKGROUND

Hanoi’s history

The original village on the site of the present city was located in a district with the local name of Long Do. The community seems to have existed as a small settlement as early as the third century AD.

The origins of Hanoi as a great city lie with a temple orphan, Ly Cong Uan. Ly rose through the ranks of the palace guards to become their commander and in 1010, four years after the death of the previous King Le Hoan, was enthroned, marking the beginning of the 200-year-long Ly Dynasty. On becoming king, Ly Cong Uan moved his capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La, which he renamed Thang Long (Soaring Dragon). Thang Long is present-day Hanoi. A number of pagodas were built at this time – most have since disappeared, although the One Pillar Pagoda and the Tran Vu Temple both date from this period

During the period of French expansion into Indochina, the Red River was proposed as an alternative trade route to the Mekong. Francis Garnier, a French naval officer, was dispatched to the area in 1873 to ascertain the possibilities of establishing such a route. Despite having only a modest force of men under arms, when negotiations with Emperor Tu Duc failed in 1882, Garnier attacked and captured the citadel of Hanoi under the dubious pretext that the Vietnamese were about to attack him. Tu Duc acceded to French demands, and from 1882 onwards, Hanoi, along with the port city of Haiphong, became the focus of French activity in the north. Hanoi was made the capital of the new colony of Annam, and the French laid out a 2-sq-km residential and business district, constructing mansions, villas and public buildings incorporating both French and Asian architectural styles. Many of these buildings still stand to the south and east of the Old City and Hoan Kiem Lake.

In the 1920s and 1930s, with conditions in the countryside deteriorating, there was an influx of landless and dispossessed labourers into the city. Before long, a poor underclass, living in squalid, pathetic conditions, had formed. At the end of the Second World War, with the French battling to keep Ho Chi Minh and his forces at bay, Hanoi became little more than a service centre of some 40,000 inhabitants.

After the French withdrew in 1954, Ho Chi Minh concentrated on building up Vietnam and in particular Hanoi’s industrial base. At that time the capital had only eight small, privately owned factories. By 1965, more than 1000 enterprises had been added to this figure. However, as the US bombing of the north intensified with Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965, so the authorities began to evacuate non-essential civilians from Hanoi and to disperse industry into smaller, less vulnerable units of operation. Between 500,000 and 750,000 people were evacuated between 1965 and 1973, representing 75% of the inner-city population. Nevertheless, the cessation of hostilities led to a spontaneous migration back into the capital. By 1984 the population of the city had reached 2.7 million, and today it is in excess of three million.

West of Hoan Kiem Lake

religious buildings worth a peek

To the west of Hoan Kiem Lake in a little square stands the rather sombre, twin-towered neo-Gothic Saint Joseph’s Cathedral open 0500-1130, 1400-1930 through a door at the back; Mass Mon-Fri 0530, 0815, Sat 0530, 1800, Sun 0500, 0700, 0900, 1100, 1600, 1800. Built in 1886, the cathedral is important as one of the very first colonial-era buildings in Hanoi finished, as it was, soon after the Treaty of Tientsin, which gave France control over the whole of Vietnam (see here). It was located at the centre of the Catholic Mission. Some fine stained-glass windows remain. The area around the cathedral is hugely popular by day and night with Hanoi’s youth who gather in huge numbers to drink ice lemon tea and eat sunflower seeds.

About 100 m in front of the cathedral on Nha Tho Street is a much older religious foundation, the Stone Lady Pagoda (Chua Ba Da), down a narrow alley. It consists of an old pagoda and a Buddhist school. On either side of the pagoda are low buildings where the monks live. Although few of the standing buildings are of any antiquity it is an ancient site and a tranquil and timeless atmosphere prevails. Originally built in 1056 as Sung Khanh Pagoda, by the late 15th century it needed rebuilding. A stone statue of a woman was found in the foundations and was worshipped in the pagoda. By 1767 the walls needed rebuilding. Each time they were built they collapsed. The foundations were dug deeper and the stone statue was found again. Since then the walls have held fast. Although now a pagoda for the worship of Buddha it is clear that the site has had a mixed spiritual history.

North of the cathedral on Ly Quoc Su Street is the Ly Quoc Su Pagoda, once home to Minh Khong, a physician and the chief adviser to Ly Than Tong, the Ly dynasty emperor. He became famous in the 12th century after curing the emperor of a disease that other doctors had failed to treat. It was restored in 2010.

South of Hoan Kiem Lake

tree-lined boulevards and coffee shops

Opera House

www.hanoioperahouse.org.vn. Not open to the public except during public performances. See the billboards outside or visit the box office for details.

To the south and east of Hoan Kiem Lake is the proud-looking French-era Opera House. It was built between 1901-1911 by François Lagisquet and is one of the finest French colonial buildings in Hanoi. Some 35,000 bamboo piles were sunk into the mud of the Red River to provide foundations for the lofty edifice. The exterior is a delightful mass of shutters, wrought-iron work, little balconies and a tiled frieze. The top balustrade is nicely capped with griffins. Inside, there are dozens of little boxes and fine decoration evocative of the French era. Having suffered years of neglect the Opera House was eventually lavishly restored, opening in time for the Francophone Summit held in 1997. Original drawings in Hanoi and Paris were consulted and teams of foreign experts were brought in to supervise local craftsmen. Slate was carried from Sin Ho to re-tile the roof, Italians oversaw the relaying of the mosaic floor in the lobby and French artists repainted the fine ornamental details of the auditorium. The restoration cost US$14 million, a colossal sum to spend on the reappointment of a colonial edifice. A Hanoi planning department architect explained that although the Opera House was French in style it was built by Vietnamese hands and represented an indelible part of Vietnamese history.

Sofitel Metropole

15 Ngo Quyen St.

The Metropole, built in French-colonial style in 1901, is an icon of elegance in the French quarter of the city. It quickly became the focal point of colonial life for 50 years. In 1916, it screened the first movie shown in Indochina. In 1944, Japanese POWS were temporarily housed here. In the 1950s the Vietnamese government appropriated it, named it the Thong Nhat Hotel, and used it as a hotel for VIPs; during the Vietnam War years the press and diplomats used it as their headquarters. Many famous celebrities and diplomats have stayed here including Graham Greene (writing The Quiet American), Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, Stephen Hawking, Oliver Stone, Charlie Chaplin, Sir Roger Moore, Jane Fonda, Mick Jagger, Catherine Deneuve, George Bush Senior, Fidel Castro, Robert McNamara, Jacques Chirac and Boutros Boutros Ghali.

Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution

216 Tran Quang Khai St, T4-3825 4151, Tue-Sun 0800-1145, 1330-1615, 20,000d.

The Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution (Bao Tang Cach Mang Vietnam), housed in an old French villa, traces the struggle of the Vietnamese people to establish their independence. Following the displays, it becomes clear that the American involvement in Vietnam has been just one episode in a centuries-long struggle against foreign aggressors. The 3000 exhibits are dryly presented across 29 rooms and in chronological order. They start with the cover the struggle for independence (1858-1945); the final rooms show the peace and prosperity of reunification: bountiful harvests, the opening of large civil engineering projects, and smiling peasants.

Museum of Vietnamese History (Bao Tang Lich Su)

1 Trang Tien St, T4-325 3518, Tue-Sun 0800-1130, 1330-1630, 15,000d.

A short distance south of the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution is the History Museum. It is housed in a splendid building, completed in 1931. It was built as the home of the École Française d’Extrême-Orient, a distinguished archaeological, historical and ethnological research institute, by Ernest Hébrard. Hébrard was responsible for many fine colonial-era buildings in Vietnam. Here he employed a distinctly Indochinese style appropriate to its original and, indeed, its current function.

The museum remains a centre of cultural and historical research. The École Française d’Extrême-Orient played an important role in the preservation and restoration of ancient Vietnamese structures and temples, many of which were destroyed or came under threat of demolition by the French to enable the growth of their colonial city.

The museum remains a centre of cultural and historical research. The collection spans Vietnamese history from the Neolithic to the 20th century of Ho Chi Minh and is arranged in chronological order. Galleries lead from the Neolithic (Bac Son) represented by stone tools and jewellery; the Bronze Age (Dong Son) with some fine bronze drums; Funan and the port of Oc-Eo; Champa is represented by some fine stone carvings of apsaras, mythical dancing girls. There are relics such as bronze temple bells and urns of successive royal dynasties from Le to Nguyen. An impressive giant turtle, symbol of longevity, supports a huge stela praising the achievements of Le Loi, founder of the Le Dynasty, who harnessed nationalist sentiment and forced the Chinese out of Vietnam. Unfortunately some of the pieces (including a number of the stelae) are reproductions.

BACKGROUND

Urban renewal

Although Ho Chi Minh City has attracted the lion’s share of Vietnam’s foreign inward investment, Hanoi, as the capital, also receives a large amount. But whereas Ho Chi Minh City’s investment tends to be in industry, Hanoi has received a great deal of attention from property developers, notably in the hotel and office sectors. Much of the development has been in prestigious and historical central Hanoi and has included the construction of a huge office complex on the site of the notorious ‘Hanoi Hilton’ prison, much to the mortification of Vietnamese war veterans, see here. Some commentators applauded the authorities for this attempt at putting the past behind them.

Although some architecturally insensitive schemes have dominated the cityscape, numerous old colonial villas have been tastefully restored as bars, restaurants and homes with a very positive effect on Hanoi’s architectural heritage. Pollution levels in Hanoi have soared as a result of the construction boom: dust from demolition, piling, bricks and tiles and sand blown from the back of trucks add an estimated 150 cubic metres of pollutants to the urban atmosphere every day. But while asthmatics may wheeze, Hanoi’s army of builders grows daily ever stronger.

Other French Quarter buildings

Other buildings of the ‘French Concession’ include the impressive former residence of the French Resident Superior of Tonkin opposite the Metropole.

The enormous Post Office 6 Dinh Le St, facing Hoan Kiem lake, was designed by Henri Cerruti in 1942. Next door is the Post and Telegraphic Office 75 Dinh Tien Hoang St, designed by Auguste-Henri Vildieu and completed in 1896. Further up Dinh Tieng Hoang is the Hanoi People’s Committee building, formerly the town hall and built by Vildieu between 1897 and 1906. The main section at the front dates from the late 1980s and early 1990s demonstrating brutalist communist architecture. Vildieu also designed the Supreme Court 48 Ly Thuong Kiet, between 1900 and 1906. It’s a fine symmetrical building with a grey-tiled roof, two staircases and balustrades.

Ernest Hébrard, who worked at the Central Services of Urban Planning and Architecture, designed the Indochina University, now Hanoi University 19 Le Thanh Tong St, which was completed in 1926. It bears a remarkable resemblance to the history museum, which he also designed. Furthermore, Hébrard designed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (then the Bureau des FinancesDien Bien Phu St, in 1931.

Around 1000 colonial villas are still scattered around Hanoi, especially west of the Old Quarter. Many of them have been superbly restored and are used by embassies.

Hoa Lo Prison

1 Hoa Lo, T4-3824 6358, Tue-Sun 0800-1130, 1330-1630, 20,000d.

Hoa Lo Prison (Maison Centrale), better known as the Hanoi Hilton, is the prison where US POWs were incarcerated, some for six years, during the Vietnamese War. The final prisoners were not released until 1973, some having been held in the north since 1964.

At the end of 1992 a US mission was shown around the prison where 2000 inmates were housed in cramped and squalid conditions. Despite pleas from war veterans and party members, the site was sold to a Singapore-Vietnamese joint venture and is now a hotel and shopping complex, Hanoi Towers. As part of the deal the developers had to leave a portion of the prison for use as a museum, a lasting memorial to the horrors of war.

‘Maison Centrale’ reads the legend over the prison’s main gate, which leads in to the museum. There are recreations of conditions under colonial rule when the barbarous French incarcerated patriotic Vietnamese from 1896: by 1953 they were holding 2000 prisoners in a space designed for 500. Many well-known Vietnamese were incarcerated here: Phan Boi Chau (founder of the Reformation Party; 1867-1940), Luong Van Can (Reformation Party leader and school founder; 1854-1927), Nguyen Quyen (founder along with Luong Van Can of the School for the Just Cause; 1870-1942) and five men who were later to become general secretaries of the Communist Party: Le Duan (served as general secretary 1976-1986), Nguyen Van Cu (served 1938-1940), Truong Chinh (served 1941-1956 and July-December 1986), Nguyen Van Linh (served 1986-1991) and Do Muoi (served 1991-1997). Less prominence is given to the role of the prison for holding American pilots, but Douglas ‘Pete’ Peterson, the first post-war American Ambassador to Vietnam (1997-2001), who was one such occupant (imprisoned 1966-1973) has his mug-shot on the wall, as does John McCain (imprisoned 1967-1973).

Ambassadors’ Pagoda

73 Quan Su St.

In the 15th century there was a guesthouse on the site of the Ambassadors’ Pagoda (Quan Su Pagoda) for visiting Buddhist ambassadors. The current structure was built between 1936 and 1942. Chinese in appearance from the exterior, the temple contains some fine stone sculptures of the past, present and future Buddhas. It is very popular and crowded with scholars, pilgrims, beggars and incense sellers. The pagoda is one of the centres of Buddhist learning in Vietnam (it is the headquarters of the Vietnam Central Buddhist Congregation): at the back is a schoolroom that is in regular use; students often spill-over into the surrounding corridors to listen.

ON THE ROAD

Guild street name meanings and their current trades

Bat Dan St – clay bowls

Bat Su – ceramic bowls

Hang Bac – silver, jewellery

Hang Bo – baskets, motorbike stickers, barbecue squid (late night)

Hang Bong – cotton

Hang Buom – sails, coffee, chocolate, booze

Hang But – calligraphy brushes

Hang Can – weighing scales

Hang Dao – silk (Pho Hang Dao means ‘street where red-dyed fabrics are sold’), sewing things, feathers

Hang Dieu – smoking pipes, fake brand name handbags

Hang Duong – sugar Hang Gai – hemp, silk, souvenirs, galleries, tailor shops

Hang Ma – votive paper, headstones

Hang Manh – bamboo screens/mats

Hang Non – conical hats

Hang Phen St – alum sulphate

Hang Quat – paper fans, religious artefacts

Hang Thiec – tinsmiths, tin ovens

Hang Tre – bamboo

Hang Trong – drums, boutiques, galleries

Lan Ong – traditional medicine

Hang Vai – cloth street

Ngo Gach – bricks

Thuoc Bac – medicine street

To Tich – undecorated mats, fruit cups

Yen Thai Alley – embroidery

Nearby, on Le Duan Street just south of the railway station, stalls sell a remarkable array of US, Soviet and Vietnamese army-surplus kit.

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum complex and around

resting place of Vietnam’s greatest hero

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

Summer Tue-Thu, Sat and Sun 0730-1100. Winter Tue-Thu, Sat and Sun 0800-1100, closed 6 weeks from Sep for conservation. Before entering the mausoleum, visitors must leave cameras and possessions at the office (Ban To Chuc) on Huong Vuong, just south of and a few mins’ walk from the mausoleum. Visitors must be respectful: dress neatly, walk solemnly, do not talk and do not take anything in that could be construed as a weapon, for example, a penknife.

The Vietnamese have made Ho Chi Minh’s body a holy place of pilgrimage and visitors march in file to see Ho’s embalmed corpse inside the mausoleum (Lang Chu Tich Ho Chi Minh).

The mausoleum, built between 1973 and 1975, is a massive square forbidding structure and must be among the best constructed, maintained and air-conditioned buildings in Vietnam. Opened in 1975, it is a fine example of the mausoleum genre and is modelled closely on Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow. Ho Chi Minh lies in state with a guard at each corner of his bier. The embalming of his body was undertaken by the chief Soviet embalmer Dr Sergei Debrov, who also worked on such communist luminaries as Klement Gottwald (President of Czechoslovakia), Georgi Dimitrov (Prime Minister of Bulgaria) and Forbes Burnham (President of Guyana). Debrov was flown to Hanoi from Moscow as Ho Chi Minh lay dying, bringing with him two transport planes packed with air conditioners and other equipment. To escape US bombing, the team moved Uncle Ho to a cave, taking a full year to complete the embalming process. The embalming and eternal display of Ho Chi Minh’s body was however contrary to his own wishes: he wanted to be cremated and his ashes placed in three urns to be positioned atop three unmarked hills in the north, centre and south of the country.

Ba Dinh Square

In front of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is Ba Dinh Square where he read out the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence on 2 September 1945. Following Ho Chi Minh’s declaration, 2 September became Vietnam’s National Day. Coincidentally 2 September was also the date on which he died in 1969, although his death was not officially announced until 3 September.

In front of the mausoleum on Bac Son Street is the Dai Liet Si, a memorial to the heroes and martyrs who died fighting for their country’s independence. It appears to be modelled as a secular form of stupa and inside is a large bronze urn. The new parliament building, completed in 2014, now also stands proud directly across from the mausoleum.

Ho Chi Minh’s house and the Presidential Palace

Ho Chi Minh’s house, 1 Bach Thao St, T4-3804 4529; Summer Tue-Thu, Sat and Sun, 0730-1100, 1400-1600, Fri 0730-1100; winter Tue-Thu, Sat and Sun 0800-1100, 1330-1600, Fri 0800-1100, 20,000d; the Presidential Palace is not open to the public.

From the mausoleum, visitors are directed to Ho Chi Minh’s house built in the compound of the former Presidential Palace. The palace, now a Party guesthouse, was the residence of the Governors-General of French Indochina and was built between 1900 and 1908 by Auguste-Henri Vildieu. In 1954, when North Vietnam’s struggle for independence was finally achieved, Ho Chi Minh declined to live in the palace, saying that it belonged to the people. Instead, he stayed in what is said to have been an electrician’s house in the same compound. Here he lived from 1954 to 1958, before moving to a new stilt house built on the other side of the small lake (Ho Chi Minh’s ‘Fish Farm’, swarming with massive and well-fed carp). The house was designed by Ho Chi Minh and an architect, Nguyen Van Ninh. This modest house made of rare hardwoods is airy and personal and immaculately kept. Ho Chi Minh conducted meetings under the house, which is raised up on wooden pillars, and slept and worked above (his books, slippers and telephones are still here) from May 1958 to August 1969. Built by the army, the house mirrors the one he lived in while fighting the French from his haven near the Chinese border. Behind the house is his bomb shelter, and behind that, the hut where he actually died in 1969.

One Pillar Pagoda

Close by is the One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot), one of the few structures remaining from the original foundation of the city. It was built in 1049 by Emperor Ly Thai Tong, although the shrine has since been rebuilt on several occasions, most recently in 1955 after the French destroyed it before withdrawing from the country. The emperor built the pagoda in a fit of religious passion after he dreamt that he saw the goddess Quan Am (Vietnam’s equivalent of the Chinese goddess Kuanyin) sitting on a lotus and holding a young boy, whom she handed to the emperor. On the advice of counsellors who interpreted the dream, the Emperor built this little lotus-shaped temple in the centre of a water-lily pond and shortly afterwards his queen gave birth to a son. As the name suggests, it is supported on a single (concrete) pillar with a brick and stone staircase running up one side. The pagoda symbolizes the ‘pure’ lotus sprouting from the sea of sorrow. Original in design, with dragons running along the apex of the elegantly curved tiled roof, the temple is one of the most revered monuments in Vietnam. But the ungainly concrete pillar and the pond of green slime in which it is embedded detract considerably from the enchantment of the little pagoda.

ON THE ROAD

Syndicated loans keep the sharks away

Throughout Vietnam, and indeed across the world wherever there are large numbers of Vietnamese, one will find hui in operation. Hui (or ho as it is called in the north) is a credit circle of 10 to 20 people who meet every month; the scheme lasts as many months as there are participants. In a blind auction the highest bidder takes home that month’s capital. Credit is expensive in Vietnam, partly because there are few banks to make personal loans, so in time of crisis the needy have to borrow from money-lenders at crippling rates of interest. Alternatively they can join a hui and borrow at more modest rates.

It works like this: the hui is established with members agreeing to put in a fixed amount, say 100,000d, each month. Each month the members bid according to their financial needs, entering a zero bid if they need no cash. If, in month one, Mr Nam’s daughter gets married he will require money for the wedding festivities and, moreover, he has to have the money so he must bid high, maybe 25,000d. Assuming this is the highest bid he will receive 75,000d from each member (ie 100,000d less 25,000d). In future months Mr Nam cannot bid again but must pay 100,000d to whoever collects that month’s pot. Towards the end of the cycle several participants (those whose buffalo have not died and those whose daughters remain unmarried) will have taken nothing out but will have paid in 100,000d (minus x) dong each month; they can enter a zero bid and get the full 100,000d from all participants and with it a tidy profit. There is, needless to say, strategy involved and this is where the Vietnamese love of gambling (the besetting sin of the Vietnamese according to Norman Lewis) colours the picture. One day, Mr Muoi wins one million dong on the Vinh Long lottery. He lets it be known that he intends to buy a Honda Dream, but to raise the necessary purchase price he must ‘win’ that month’s hui and will be bidding aggressively. In the same month Thuy, Mrs Phuoc’s baby daughter, celebrates her first birthday so Mrs Phuoc needs money to throw a lavish thoi noi party. She has heard of old Muoi’s intentions but doesn’t know if he is serious. In case he is, she will have to bid high. On the day, nice Mrs Phuoc enters a knock-out bid of 30,000d but wily old Muoi was bluffing all along and he and the others make a lot of interest that month.

ON THE ROAD

The story of Quan Am

Quan Am was turned onto the streets by her husband for some unspecified wrong-doing and, dressed as a monk, took refuge in a monastery. There, a woman accused her of fathering, and then abandoning, her child. Accepting the blame (why, no one knows), she was again turned out onto the streets, only to return to the monastery much later when she was on the point of death – to confess her true identity. When the Emperor of China heard the tale, he made Quan Am the Guardian Spirit of Mother and Child, and couples without a son now pray to her.

Quan Am’s husband is sometimes depicted as a parakeet, with the Goddess usually holding her adopted son in one arm and standing on a lotus leaf (the symbol of purity).

Ho Chi Minh Museum

19 Ngoc Ha St, T4-3846 3752, Tue-Thu and Sat 0800-1130, 1400-1600, Fri 0800-1130, 20,000d.

Overshadowing the One Pillar Pagoda is the Ho Chi Minh Museum – opened in 1990 in celebration of the centenary of Ho Chi Minh’s birth. Contained in a large and impressive modern building, likened to a white lotus, its displays trace Ho’s life and work from his early wanderings around the world to his death and final victory over the south.

Temple of Literature

The entrance on Quoc Tu Giam St, T4-3845 2917, open daily summer 0730-1730, winter daily 0730-1700, 20,000d, 45-min tour in French or English 100,000d, 8000d for brochure.

The Temple of Literature (Van Mieu Pagoda) is the largest, and probably the most important, temple complex in Hanoi. It was founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, dedicated to Confucius who had a substantial following in Vietnam, and modelled, so it is said, on a temple in Shantung, China, the birthplace of the sage. Some researchers, while acknowledging the date of foundation, challenge the view that it was built as a Confucian institution pointing to the ascendancy of Buddhism during the Ly Dynasty. Confucian principles and teaching rapidly replaced Buddhism, however, and Van Mieu subsequently became the intellectual and spiritual centre of the kingdom as a cult of literature and education spread among the court, the mandarins and then among the common people. At one time there were said to be 20,000 schools teaching the Confucian classics in northern Vietnam alone.

The temple and its compound are arranged north–south, and visitors enter at the southern end from Quoc Tu Giam Street. On the pavement two pavilions house stelae bearing the inscription ha ma (climb down from your horse), a nice reminder that even the most elevated dignitaries had to proceed on foot. The main Van Mieu Gate (Cong Van Mieu Mon) is adorned with 15th-century dragons. Traditionally, the large central gate was opened only on ceremonial occasions. The path leads through the Cong Dai Trung to a second courtyard and the Van Khue Gac Pavilion, which was built in 1805 and dedicated to the Constellation of Literature. The roof is tiled according to the yin-yang principle.

Beyond lies the Courtyard of the Stelae at the centre of which is the rectangular pond or Cieng Thien Quang (Well of Heavenly Clarity). More important are the stelae themselves, 82 in all, on which are recorded the names of 1306 successful examination scholars (tien si). Of the 82 that survive (30 are missing) the oldest dates back to 1442 and the most recent to 1779. Each stela is carried on the back of a tortoise, symbol of strength and longevity but they are arranged in no order; three chronological categories, however, can be identified. Fourteen date from the 15th and 16th centuries; they are the smallest and are embellished with floral motifs and yin-yang symbols but not dragons (a royal emblem). Twenty-five stelae are from the 17th century and are ornamented with dragons (by then permitted), pairs of phoenix and other creatures mythical or real. The remaining 43 stelae are of 18th-century origin; they are the largest and are decorated with two stylized dragons, some merging with flame clouds.

Passing the examination was not easy: in 1733, out of some 3000 entrants, only eight passed the doctoral examination (Thai Hoc Sinh) and became Mandarins – a task that took 35 days. This tradition was begun in 1484 on the instruction of Emperor Le Thanh Tong, and continued through to 1878, during which time 116 examinations were held. The Temple of Literature was not used only for examinations, however: food was also distributed to the poor and infirm, 500 g of rice at a time. In 1880, the French Consul Monsieur de Kergaradec recorded that 22,000 impoverished people came to receive this meagre handout.

Continuing north, the Dai Thanh Mon (Great Success Gate) leads on to a courtyard flanked by two buildings which date from 1954, the originals having been destroyed in 1947. These buildings were reserved for 72 disciples of Confucius. Facing is the Dai Bai Duong (Great House of Ceremonies), which was built in the 19th century but in the earlier style of the Le Dynasty. The carved wooden friezes with their dragons, phoenix, lotus flowers, fruits, clouds and yinyang discs are all symbolically charged, depicting the order of the universe and by implication reflecting the god-given hierarchical nature of human society, each in his place. It is not surprising that the communist government has hitherto had reservations about preserving a temple extolling such heretical doctrine. Inside is an altar on which sit statues of Confucius and his closest disciples. Adjoining is the Dai Thanh Sanctuary (Great Success Sanctuary), which also contains a statue of Confucius.

ON THE ROAD

The examination of 1875

The examinations held at the Temple of Literature and which enabled, in theory, even the most lowly peasant to rise to the exalted position of a Mandarin, were long and difficult and conducted with great formality.

André Masson quotes Monsieur de Kergaradec, the French Consul’s, account of the examination of 1875.

On the morning of the big day, from the third watch on, that is around one o’clock in the morning, the big drum which invites each one to present himself began to be beaten and soon students, intermingled with ordinary spectators, approached the Compound in front of the cordon formed around the outer wall by soldiers holding lances. In the middle of the fifth watch, towards four or five o’clock in the morning, the examiners in full dress came and installed themselves with their escorts at the different gates. Then began the roll call of the candidates, who were thoroughly searched at the entrance, and who carried with them a small tent of canvas, and mats, cakes, rice, prepared tea, black ink, one or two brushes and a lamp. Everyone once inside, the gates were closed, and the examiners met in the central pavilion of the candidates’ enclosure in order to post the subject of the composition. During the afternoon, the candidates who had finished withdrew a few at a time through the central gate, the last ones did not leave the Compound until midnight.

Doctor Laureate on his way home. From an illustration by H Oger in 1905.

Going to the examination camp with apparatus (bamboo bed, writing box, bamboo tube for examination papers). From an illustration by H Oger in 1905.

To the north once stood the first university in Vietnam, Quoc Tu Giam, which from the 11th to 18th centuries educated first the heir to the throne and later sons of mandarins. It was replaced with a temple dedicated to Confucius’ parents and followers, which was itself destroyed in 1947.

Fine Arts Museum

66 Nguyen Thai Hoc St, T4-3733 2131, Tue-Sun 0830-1700, Wed and Sat 0800-2100. Free tours in English or French, register in advance, no photography. Restaurant in museum grounds.

Not far from the northern walls of the Van Mieu Pagoda is the Fine Arts Museum (Bao Tang My Thuat), contained in a large colonial building. The oriental roof was added later when the building was converted to a museum. The ground-floor galleries display pre-20th-century art – from Dongsonian bronze drums to Nguyen Dynasty paintings and sculpture, although many works of this later period are on display in the Museum of Royal Fine Arts in Hué. There are some particularly fine stone Buddhas. The first floor is given over to folk art. There are some lovely works from the Central Highlands and engaging Dong Ho woodblock prints – one block for each colour – and Hang Trong woodblock prints, a single black ink print that is coloured in by hand. There are also some fine lacquer paintings. The top floor contains 20th-century work including some excellent watercolours and oil paintings. Contemporary Vietnamese artists are building a significant reputation for their work. There is a large collection of overtly political work, posters and propaganda (of great interest to historians and specialist collectors), and a collection of ethnic minority clothes is exhibited in the annex.

Vietnam Military History Museum and Citadel

28 Dien Bien Phu St, T4-3733 6453, www.btlsqsvn.org.vn, Tue-Thu, Sat and Sun 0800-1130, 1300-1630, 20,000d, camera use, 5000d, ATM and Highlands Coffee Café on site.

A five-minute walk east from the Fine Arts Museum is the Military History Museum (Bao Tang Quan Doi). Tanks, planes and artillery fill the courtyard. Symbolically, an untouched Mig-21 stands at the museum entrance while wreckage of B-52s, F1-11s and Q2Cs is piled up at the back. The museum illustrates battles and episodes in Vietnam’s fight for independence from the struggles with China (there is a good display of the Battle of Bach Dang River of AD 938) through to the resistance to the French and the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (illustrated by a good model). Inevitably, of course, there are lots of photographs and exhibits of the American War and although much is self-evident, unfortunately a lot of the explanations are in Vietnamese only.

In the precincts of the museum is the Cot Co, a flag tower, raised up on three platforms. Built in 1812, it is the only substantial part of the original citadel still standing. There are good views over Hanoi from the top. The walls of the citadel were destroyed by the French in 1894 to 1897, presumably as they symbolized the power of the Vietnamese emperors. The French were highly conscious of the projection of might, power and authority through large structures, which helps explain their own remarkable architectural legacy. Across the road from the museum’s front entrance is a statue of Lenin.

The Citadel

The UNESCO listed Citadel complex received protected status in 2010 honouring the site’s importance as a military base for centuries. Work began in the 11th century on the Thang Long citadel complex by Emperor Ly Thai To. The site is home to more modern additions too, including the concrete bunker in which general Giap and his fellow officers planned their campaigns against the US invaders in the South. An exhibition space features old artefacts found when construction of the new Assembly building and also some interesting old pictures of the area. Apart from the history, this is one of the capital’s most peaceful enclaves and the grounds are a lovely place to wander and enjoy some (relative) quiet. Long closed to the public, this is a relatively new tourist site in the capital and a great addition, especially for history buffs.

Vietnamese Women’s Museum

36 Ly Thuong Kiet St, T4-3825 9936, www.baotangphunu.org.vn, daily 0900-1630, closed Mon, 30,000d.

A well-curated, fascinating museum containing 25,000 objects and documents that give visitors an excellent insight in to women’s roles in Vietnam, past and present. Information on many of the country’s 54 ethnic groups is displayed. It holds regular exhibitions and is highly recommended.

Outer Hanoi

lakes, temples and museums worth exploring

North of the Old City

North of the Old City is Ho Truc Bach (White Silk Lake). Truc Bach Lake was created in the 17th century by building a causeway across the southeast corner of Ho Tay. At the southwest corner of the lake, on the intersection of Hung Vuong, Quan Thanh and Thanh Nien streets is the Quan Thanh Pagoda was originally built in the early 11th century in honour of Huyen Thien Tran Vo (a genie) but since has been much remodelled. Despite renovation, it is still very beautiful. The large bronze bell was cast in 1677.

To the east of here the Long Bien and Chuong Duong bridges cross the Red River. The former of these two bridges was built as a road and rail bridge by Daydé & Pillé of Paris and named Paul Doumer Bridge after the Governor General of the time. Construction was begun in 1899 and it was opened by Emperor Thanh Thai on 28 February 1902. Today it is used by trains, bicycles, motorbikes and pedestrians and is widely used for wedding photographs. Over 1.5 km in length, it was the only river crossing in existence during the Vietnam War and suffered repeated attacks from US planes, only to be quickly repaired. The Chuong Duong Bridge was completed at the beginning of the 1980s.

The much larger Ho Tay (West Lake) was originally a meander in the Red River. The Tran Quoc Pagoda, an attractive brick-red building, can be found on an islet linked to the causeway by a walkway. It was originally built on the banks of the Red River before being transferred to its present site by way of an intermediate location. The pagoda contains a stela dated 1639 recounting its unsettled history. It is a popular place of worship and sees massive crowds around Tet (New Year). Just south, pedaloes called ‘dap vit’ are available for hire. Opposite, facing Truc Bach Lake, is a monument recording the shooting down of USAF’s John (now US Senator) McCain on 26 October 1967. It reveals the pilot falling out of the sky, knees bent.

A few kilometres north, on the tip of a promontory, stands Tay Ho Pagoda, notable chiefly for its setting. It is reached along a narrow lane lined with stalls selling fruit, roses and paper votives and a dozen restaurants serving giant snails with bun oc (noodles) and fried shrimp cakes. Dominating it is an enormous bronze bell held by a giant dragon hook supported by concrete dragons and two elephants; notice the realistic glass eyes of the elephants.

A cycle around West Lake is a pleasure and there are tens of little local coffee shops lining the route as well as a healthy group of bars and restaurants along Quang An. Xuan Dieu street runs alongside the lake and signals the start of the expat enclave concentrated around To Ngoc Van Street where there are lots of cafés and eateries as well as some of the city’s best late-night bars including Madake and Hanoi Rock City.

Museum of Ethnology and B-52 memorials

Some distance west of the city centre in Cau Giay District (Nguyen Van Huyen Rd), T4-3756 2193, www.vme.org.vn, Tue-Sun 0830-1730, 25,000d, photography 50,000d, tour guide, 50,000d. Catch No 14 minibus from Dinh Tien Hoang St, north of Hoan Kiem Lake, to the Nghia Tan stop; turn right and walk down Hoang Quoc Viet St for 1 block, before turning right at the Petrolimex station down Nguyen Van Huyen; the museum is down this street, on the left. Alternatively take a taxi. Branch of Baguette & Chocolat bakery on site.

The museum opened in November 1997 in a modern, purpose-built structure. The collection here of some 25,000 artefacts, 15,000 photographs and documentaries of practices and rituals is excellent and, more to the point, is attractively and informatively presented with labels in Vietnamese, English and French. It displays the material culture (textiles, musical instruments, jewellery, tools, baskets and the like) of the majority Kinh people as well as Vietnam’s 53 other designated minority peoples. The highlight is wandering the gardens at the rear where ethnic minority homes have been moved from their original homes and painstakingly re-built. There is a very good shop attached to the museum.

On the routes out to the Ethnology Museum are two B-52 memorials. The remains of downed B-52s have been hawked around Hanoi over many years but seem to have found a final resting place at the Bao Tang Chien Tang B-52 (B-52 Museum157 Doi Can St, free. This curious place is not really a museum but a military hardware graveyard, but this doesn’t matter because what everyone wants to do is walk over the wings and tail of a shattered B-52, and the B-52 in question lies scattered around the yard. The size and strength of the B-52 is simply incredible and needs to be seen to be believed.

On Hoang Hoa Tham Street, between Nos 55 and 57, a sign points 100 m down an alley to the wreckage of a B-52 bomber sticking up out of the pond-like Huu Tiep Lake. There’s a plaque on the wall stating that at 2305 on 27 December 1972, Battalion 72 of Regiment 285 shot down the plane. At the time Huu Tiep was a flower village and the lake a lot bigger.

South of Hanoi

Down Pho Hué Street is the hub of motorcycle sales, parts and repairs. Off this street, for example along Hoa Ma, Tran Nhan Tong and Thinh Yen, are numerous stalls and shops, each specializing in a single type of product – TVs, electric